Amtrak/United Airlines partnership: why not expand it?

Go to the United site, load in an itinerary ORD-ZTF, and see what you get. Maybe someone around here knows how to do a screen shot and can post it; I don't.

I think from reviewing the hubs Mr. Red Wolf notes, the only one with the capacity to offer a seamless air to rail connection is Newark. I think that is the second biggest hub United has, with of course O'Hare being the biggest. Funny how an approach to ORD 27R takes one atop a certain sports area from which United acquired the naming rights. Funny what you see atop the roof of such if seated on the Right side of the aircraft.

disclaimer: my apparent "attachment" to United Airlines is first I know my way around ORD Terminal 1; not too much elsewhere. Also I get TSA Pre Check flying them; not so when I flew Jet Blue (Terminal 3) to JFK last year.

One should expand successful partnerships, one should kill unsuccessful partnerships as soon as the contract runs out.

Everyone:

Does anyone remember the Amtrak/Midway Airlines partnership at Philadelphia International Airport in which some Atlantic City trains terminated at
Terminal C/D on SEPTA's Airport Line back around 1990?

I searched Google and found little about this service but noted that it was discontinued because of low ridership.

Expanding partnerships with other transportation companies is a good idea offering added travel options.

As long as there is a middle ground - and one company not trying to dominate partnership share over another this should work fine.

MACTRAXX

I think the NEC is prob the only place it would really work. Can you imagine landing after a 12+ hour flight, only to find your train is running 6 hours late?

Maybe on one or two other corridors with good on time percentage it would work too.

It's a good point though about NWK being a United hub. I don't see people taking the Metro from Union Station in DC all the way to Dulles airport as part of a transfer.

What about direct service connecting Newark airport and Philadelphia airport? Could be done for less than the $150 airfare. Now if only transfers could be made to and from the train with through baggage and without requiring an extra TSA inspection.

Its still in the realm of fantasy but the SEHSR (or whetever they are calling it now) includes a station at Charlotte-Douglas which is American's second largest hub. By the time it gets built (if it gets built) there would be enough frequencies to Greensboro, Durham and Raleigh to make the air/rail transfer a reasonable option. Greenville SC would be another viable destination but South Carolina, ugh....

I don't think either United or American would like non exclusiveness in any deal. What's good for the goose is not good for the gander. They're in competition with one another, and by the way in competition with Amtrak too.

CLamb wrote:What about direct service connecting Newark airport and Philadelphia airport? Could be done for less than the $150 airfare. Now if only transfers could be made to and from the train with through baggage and without requiring an extra TSA inspection.

When I flew home from Israel, I had to change planes in Frankfurt, one of Europes biggest hubs. I never left the airside (secure) area, yet I had to go through a security again.

I think it would be neat, but impossible to meet the requirements for a secure area for a train to plane transfer like that.

Greg,

ANYBODY flying to Ben Gurion will always be a special case. There is security, and there is security flying to Israel

You did, though, just name a significant weakness: Amtrak does not have TSA cleared trains going anywhere. Lufthansa DID have its Dusseldorf/Cologne/Frankfurt service, but you cleared security and went secure all the way.

I think you're right, though. Amtrak's ability to get off the advertised by hours would really upset travellers who are expecting smooth operations all the way. The reliability of rail in the 20s and again in the late 40s-mid 50s is now owned by air.

Any around here who have been overseas, know that "seamless" rail-air connections, as well as through ticketing, are quite common.

But even over there, there are markets where such service could be offered, but is not.

For example, I think of Salzburg. While of course there is an airport, SBG/LOWS, there are no overseas flights. If one wants to go there all the way air from Chicago, United has "partner" connections through Brussels, Lufthansa has same through Frankfort, FRA/EDDF, and Austria Airlines (subsidiary of LH) has service through Vienna, VIE/LOWV.

Now, first hand, Munich, MUC/EDDM, with Nonstops from Chicago on both United and Lufthansa, physically has a "seamless" air-rail connection. The "interurban" S-BAHN directly serves the airport (clear Customs walk across a plaza). If a "commuter" Meridian or Westbahn is good enough (is for me), then go to Munich East and save a half hour in connecting time. However, if you want a Premium Class Rail Jet, you will have to go into town and the Hbf; they don't stop at East. The 115 miles to Salzburg has been a "breeze"; not sure now considering the open borders are being closed owing to "the situation" in Europe.

Within the past year the OBB has a line to the Vienna Airport-VIE/LOWV , but as of yet, they do not advertise any "seamless" service to Salzburg or imtermediate cities such as Linz.

I don't think anyone here has mentioned BWI, although that is of course on the NEC where this seems to work best. BDL Hartford is another possibility, although Windsor Locks on the Springfield line is basically a bus shelter (and I'm not sure there's a direct bus connection from airport property anyway). JFK doesn't work because there are intermediate legs (AirTrain and LIRR or NYCT). I'd say EWR, BWI, and long shot BDL are the only places it works or could work.

I suppose that PVD could handle stations as far west as New Haven. When and if Amtrak ever stops there.

Jeff Smith wrote:I don't think anyone here has mentioned BWI, although that is of course on the NEC where this seems to work best. BDL Hartford is another possibility, although Windsor Locks on the Springfield line is basically a bus shelter (and I'm not sure there's a direct bus connection from airport property anyway). JFK doesn't work because there are intermediate legs (AirTrain and LIRR or NYCT). I'd say EWR, BWI, and long shot BDL are the only places it works or could work.

Let me expound on BWI for a bit. And in fact, lets pull up a map as well. Mouse around.

• The station only serves two tracks and a bit of a bungalow of a waiting area/ticket agent/news stand. Yet it serves a good chunk of Amtrak NEC trains and almost all MARC trains. (Bonus points for naming which one bypasses this station) It's gotten so bad that to improve service, they have to reconstruct the entire station and add a fourth track ("A") between GROVE and WINANS. The Newark Airport station has access to all four tracks.
• The Amtrak station is quite a bit far away from the airport. (Hint, my house is a few minutes south of here)
• To get to the airport itself, you have to board a free bus. Or a taxi if you're willing to toss 'em a twenty to shut up and drive. There is no rail service into the airport (although it could use it).
• There is no security screening, namely because there is no room.
• Oh, did I mention that the airport itself is a Southwest hub? They don't have club service.

There may be an opportunity for it with the station rebuild and four tracking, but I doubt it.

This was linked to in a recent post, so figured I'd add my 2 cents in:

A good place to expand the partnership would be Boston. The silver line is an easy ride between South Station and the Airport (just as easy as Newark airtrain), and United flies to quite a few places from there (non-NEC destinations are Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco). Ditto Philly with the Airport line, only difference is no Los Angeles from there. Both airports also have a United Club lounge.

Cleveland would be a good choice If RTA ever built a combined Airport Rapid and Amtrak Platform